Stories for December 2017

Sunday, December 31

Egbert Oostburg, founder of Drone Aviator, was among the authors of new regulations that now require all recreational drones to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. The new rules require owners of drone and model aircraft weighing between 0.55 and 55 pounds to pay a $5 registration fee and provide information linking them to a unique drone ID number that must be on the device at all times.

Mention corporate America in some circles, and the first word you’ll hear is “greedy.” Look to the media, and you’ll see no shortage of stereotyping, either. And this holiday season you’ll again watch Ebenezer Scrooge bully his employee Bob Cratchit.

Wishes Across America, which is connected to the Macy’s Believe campaign benefitting Make-A-Wish Foundation, announced that during Macy’s 10th annual Believe campaign a wish was granted to special young girl.

San Diego-based Batu Biologics, an oncology company dedicated to the development of its clinical stage tumor-angiogenesis targeting immunotherapy, announced the successful closure of a 506(c) equity crowdfunding offering bringing in $1.3 million in capital.

Friday, December 29

Lifestyle

Stephan Aarstol is the CEO and founder of Tower Paddle Boards, an online company that sells stand up paddle boards to consumers. While Tower was still in its infancy, Aarstol appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2011 and landed a deal with Mark Cuban to receive a $150,000 investment in exchange for 30 percent of the company.

Monday, December 25

2017 Newsmakers

On the heels of the Chargers’ leave-taking, Alibaba billionaire Joe Tsai brought joy to some San Diego sports fans with the announcement that he would be bringing a professional indoor lacrosse team to town.

Civic

Randy Bogle, the executive director of the Military Advisory Council, serves on many civic and nonprofit groups. After retiring from a Navy career that included stints as a naval aviator and a post at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Bogle joined D.P. Associates, which provided courseware to Naval and Marine units. In 2004, DPA was acquired by L-3 Communications.

Downtown San Diego’s East Village got a building with a very different perspective with the November completion of the $91 million IDEA1 project that combines office space, apartments and retail space.

FINANCE: Analyst Expecting Strong Market In 2018 for S.D. Cos.

Robust equity markets and high investor confidence are likely to spur some local companies to go public next year.
That’s according to Tim Holl, a San Diego partner with EY, who said the combination played a role in pushing the number of IPOs in the U.S. this year to its highest since 2014.

RECOGNITION: Two Businessmen Look to Bring Our Best to Homeless Problem

Ideas are fine, but they are nothing without execution.
Peter Seidler and Dan Shea saw suffering among San Diego’s burgeoning homeless population. With fellow business leaders, they started to really think about the issue in late 2016 and 2017, and pushed for some sort of fix.

Swaying rural teens in Arkansas to stay away from chewing tobacco, a habit ingrained in the local culture, is no easy task. Nor is crafting relatable messages for teens on the dangers of prescription painkiller abuse.

From Contractors to Personnel, Region Reaps $50.1 Million in Impact From Defense Role

Every year, San Diego County brings in more U.S. Defense Department contracts than many states of the union. In 2017, San Diego’s $8.23 billion in defense wins were more than what the states of Washington and New York received individually.

The recent answer to the issue to veteran homelessness in San Diego has been to provide interim beds to keep homeless off the street, like the temporary tent constructed in Barrio Logan and ones opening soon in the East Village and the Midway district. This type of solution will not be effective long term, however.

The Maritime Museum of San Diego announced that it teamed up with Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High to create prototypes for hands-on children’s exhibits that demonstrate the physics of sailing, science behind navigation and simple maritime machines.

Just a heartbeat — four tenths of a mile to be exact — from the heart of downtown Rancho Santa Fe is a striking contemporary single-level estate that breaks the mold of the standard ranch-style home that is typical of the area.

FINANCE: Credit Union Group Wants Security Standards for All

Debra Schwartz, CEO of Mission Federal Credit Union, among the largest such institutions serving San Diego County, recently testified before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee hearing on data security.

Tuesday, December 12

PROPERTY: Demand Spreads Beyond the Usual Submarkets

The rapid growth of tech companies, along with their voracious appetite for more and more space in the hottest submarkets in San Diego and elsewhere is driving up office rent prices in neighboring submarkets.

APPAREL: Solid IP and Pro Sports Licensing Deal May Be Winning Combo

Inventory risk prevents retailers from keeping every professional athlete’s jersey in stock. If an unknown player’s breakout performance sparks demand, long production times mean fans wait until next season.

Net Neutrality, an issue the Federal Communications Commission will vote on Dec. 14 that is not being widely covered by the mainstream media, is a regulation that passed during the Obama administration granting all websites equality in steaming service.

On the southwestern edge of Rancho Santa Fe, hidden from view off a quiet tree-lined street is the “Angel House.” The charming Spanish Colonial-style home was designed in 1930 by prolific local architect, Lilian Rice. The long sweeping driveway climbs upward toward a full acre of lavish gardens and beguiling vistas. The inviting storybook home comes into view. The arched wood and glass front doors, flanked by original stained-glass windows, beckon from under a covered veranda. The modernized interior is woven into its historic roots and evokes a sense of permanence and peace.

Don Knauss, chairman of the University of San Diego Board of Directors, and his wife, Ellie Knauss, are donating $20 million to the university to launch the planning and construction of a new $67 million home for its business school.

Vista-based company TetraVue, a developer of high-definition 4D LIDAR technology, said it has received additional funding to accelerate the commercialization of its long range, high-resolution 4D camera.

Viasat Inc. says it is retiring its Exede and Yonder brands.

Viasat Inc. says it is retiring its Exede and Yonder brands.
They served the company well, but now the corporation’s consumer-facing internet services will use the Viasat brand, too. Satellite internet services for the aviation community will also carry the Viasat brand.

In attempting to work with the state of California to craft cannabis regulations mandated by Proposition 64, several tribes hoped for the type of collaborative engagement and respectful dialogue experienced by our native counterparts in Nevada and Washington.

High on a hill above Shelter Island at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Point Loma is one of San Diego’s most magnificent estates. The home is hidden from view by mature trees and a sturdy wooden gate.

The University of San Diego announced that its Founders Gala held recently at the Jenny Craig Pavilion generated a record-setting $1.3 million for scholarships for deserving USD scholars and student who are veterans. Proceeds from the evening supported the Founders Endowed Scholarship Fund and established a new, endowed scholarship fund in the amount of $500,000 dedicated to USD student veterans.

Firm Taps Technology, Research and Vision To Serve Growing and Changing Clientele

Michael Johnson first became a manager at a relatively young age, inheriting oversight of his first team, at Moody’s Investors Service, when he was about 30, then other teams, and later another at Merrill Lynch & Co., in New York.

A Torrey Hills apartment complex that was designed as condominiums has been sold for an undisclosed price.
Elevated on a bluff with a panoramic view Torrey Pines State Reserve and the Pacific Ocean, the 100-unit Ocean Air luxury apartments were sold to Ocean Air L.P., an affiliate of R&V Management Corp.

A combination cocktail bar and tasting room by CH Projects is set to open in the Westfield UTC mall in January.
Raised by Wolves by CH Projects will include 1,500 square feet of retail space and a 2,000 square foot cocktail bar and tasting room designed by Paul Basile of BASILE Studio.

The Innovation That Matters report, released in October, assessed the health of the startup communities in 25 U.S. cities based on economic data and an online survey of about 400 startup community leaders.

PROPERTY: Educational And Environmental Aspects Could Be Selling Points

A $3 billion project proposed by San Diego State University to replace the Mission Valley site of the former Qualcomm Stadium would include a walkable campus, a new stadium, classroom buildings, retail shops and residences.